“John Kelly, Jr. – Catching Walleyes, Crappie, Trout and Hybrid Striped Bass in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska with Mepps and Mister Twister”

Part 1: Catching Walleyes with Exude Curly Tail Grubs

Editor’s Note: John Kelly, Jr., from Denver, Colorado, a tournament walleye fisherman, works with the recreation department at Mount Elbert-Bellow Recreation Center where he teaches fishing classes to children from March through late June. Not only does he teach children to fish and catch bass and bluegills on a 10-acre pond behind the center, but once a year Colorado’s Department of Conservation stocks rainbow trout for the children to catch. Mepps and Mister Twister are proud to have a man like John Kelly, Jr., as part of their fishing team because he helps to ensure the future of fishing for us all.

Question: What lures do you fish in walleye tournaments?

Kelly: I use Mister Twister jigheads and Mister Twister Exude Curly Tail Grubs primarily in the chartreuse color when I’m fishing for walleyes in tournaments.

Question: What size Mister Twister jigheads are you fishing?

Kelly: I’ll use 1/4- to 1/8-ounce jigheads, depending on the wind, and I’ll put those Exude Curly Tail Grubs on 6- to 10-pound-test line.

Question: How do you catch walleyes?

Kelly: Most of the time, I’ll use the Mister Twister jigheads and Exude Curly Tail Grubs. Sometimes I’ll troll for walleyes using a Mepps XD spinner or a Mepps SpinFlex with an Exude Curly Tail Grub tied on it.

Question: What lakes are you fishing?

Kelly: I primarily fish lakes in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska, but I also fish the Colorado Walleye Circuit, and I was the state champion a few years ago.

Question: What’s your biggest walleye ever?

Kelly: I’ve caught one that weighed close to 13 pounds, and I recently caught a 10 pounder that I’m mounting. An average day of Colorado walleye fishing means a limit of walleye that measure 18- to 22-inches long.

Question: What kinds of places pay the best walleye dividends for you?

Kelly: I look for rock piles and stumps, and I troll along weed lines. My favorite lake is Cherry Creek, and it has plenty of stumps in it. If I’m trolling or jig fishing, I’ll usually mark the spot where I catch a walleye with a buoy and continue fishing in that same area. Often, I’ll catch more than one walleye from a particular location. Then, before I leave this region, I’ll use my GPS to mark that spot as a waypoint. My GPS way points are fairly reliable for fishing. I can usually get six to eight marked waypoints in a day of fishing and catch my limit of walleyes on these spots.

One problem with catching a limit is that we have slot limits on most of the lakes, which are often 18 to 22 inches. One thing that makes walleyes so hard to pinpoint is that the only time they will come to certain areas is during the spawn. The rest of the time, they spread out all over the lake. Sometimes I’ll locate them holding just above the bottom using my depth finder when I pull up on a spot. Often, you can’t see the walleyes but just have to fish around structure. To catch them, I’ll vertical jig where I spot the fish or see the structure. When I vertical jig, I’ll use the Mister Twister Exude Curly Tail Grubs and jigheads.